Handball stadium work hangs fire in Una

Rajesh Sharma

Una, March 26

The construction of a handball stadium at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in Una has been hanging fire for the last three years due to administrative delay in the felling of three small trees in the middle of the proposed playing area. Consequently, Rs 13 lakh sanctioned by the State Youth Services and Sports Department in 2014 lies unspent.

District Handball Association general secretary Munish Rana said in April 2014, the government had sanctioned Rs 13 lakh for constructing a raised playing court with iron grills on the boundary to prevent the ball from going outside. He said the PWD was entrusted with the task of building the stadium, the foundation stone of which was laid by Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on October 31, 2014.

Handball Association adviser Satish Bittu and treasurer Parveen Dubey said while the three-foot high boundary wall and steel grill supports had been put in place about a year ago, further work had been stopped as filling the court with loose earth was not possible till the plants were removed.

As per records available with the Una Municipal Committee, requests in this regard from the Sports Department were made in March 2016 and on June 27, 2016. A joint inspection team of officials, headed by the Una SDM, recommended the felling of 43 trees at the Indira Gandhi sports complex, that were posing a danger to the public.

The file was forwarded to the Una Deputy Commissioner for final orders. On November 4, 2016, the Deputy Commissioner returned the file to the SDM with the comments that recommended a cut in the number of trees to be felled.

SDM Prithi Pal Singh told The Tribune that the process for re-inspection had been started again. The Handball Association members said most of the children were now free and the association’s plans for organising training camps and tournaments at the stadium were now not possible. They rued the inordinate delay by the administration in giving approval to fell three small trees.